Holy Molokai: Father Damien to Become Saint

Sunday Quiz: Which country did Father Damien hail from, and what was his name before he became a priest? Send me an e-mail with the correct answers and your mailing address by Feb. 23, and I’ll send two randomly selected readers a small Hawaii-themed prize.

Jeanne Cooper

A portrait of Father Damien hangs in St. Joseph Church in Kamalo, Molokai.

Father Damien, the unofficial, lowercase-saint of Molokai’s infamous “leper colony,” will officially become uppercase Saint Damien on Oct. 11, according to a Feb. 21 announcement by the Vatican. The 19th century priest ministered to Hawaii’s brutally quarantined victims of Hansen’s disease (then known as leprosy) before dying of the illness himself. His canonization has been expected for some time.

Check back Monday, Feb. 23, for the correct answers and an update on Father Damien-related tourism on Molokai.